Macallan 30-year-old cask breaks auction record

A full 30-year-old cask of The Macallan has set a new world record for the most expensive whisky cask sold at auction after fetching HK$2,928,000 (US$375,000) at a Spink auction in Hong Kong.

The Macallan 30-year-old cask has beaten the world record for most expensive whisky cask sold at auction

The Sherry hogshead was filled on 13 April 1987 by the Macallan Glenlivet Distillery, and has been allowed to mature quietly in the distillery’s warehouse.

The sale beat Spink’s previous record of HK$1,952,000 in 2014.

It is also the most expensive per bottle cask sold in auction worldwide as it only produces 288 bottles, priced at HK$10,166 per bottle.

“We estimated that it would sell for around HK$2.3-2.4 million as it is very rare to see an aged Macallan Sherry cask, never before has anything like that been offered to the public, as after all ­– it is a rather small barrel yielding less than 300 bottles even if you flip the cask upside-down,” said Angie Ihlo Fung, auctioneer and whisky specialist at Spink.

“As the action went on, we saw determination from buyers participating from different parts of the world, and it reached a price it certainly deserves, we are most content.”

The Macallan was once again the headline sale at a Bonhams auction in Hong Kong, when a complete set of The Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection sold for HK$3,797,500 (US$485,244).